Bees are accumulating plastic particles in their bodies

Bees are accumulating plastic particles in their bodies

The microplastic particles inevitably attach themselves to the bees' bodies as they fly around the world.. they are covered by hair, from the evolution process, which have the function of containing tiny particles that come into contact, intentionally or not, with the body of the bees. These hairs are electrostatically charged during insect flight, which helps to attract plastic particles. Pollen is the substance most commonly found in bee hair, more plant remains, wax and even fragments of the bodies of other bees can also be found..

Now, another type of material joined this list: the plastics. According to a study carried out in Denmark, 13 different types of synthetic polymers can be found trapped between bee hair. The study was published earlier this year in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

It is widely proven that microplastics arescattered for the planet. However, Scientists are still trying to find out how these substancesmove through the atmosphere. According to them, collecting microplastic samples is not an easy task, and most of the research carried out so far has been conducted at ground level..

Bees are used for research because their legs and furry bodies allow a better scientific assessment of the distribution of fibers and plastic fragments in the air.. Due to the large number of bees and the wide geographic reach of their foraging activity, they can be used as a kind of live probe for a more accurate study of the presence of microplastics present in the air around the world..

"This work demonstrates, for the first time, the possibility of using bees as a bioindicator of the presence of MPs (microplásticos) in the environment", say the scientists.

Miniature Environmentalists

During decades, bees were used as pollution sentinels, helping in the monitoring ofheavy metals, pesticides, air pollution and evenradioactive fallout. In the decade of 1970, research on the interaction of bees with plastics was carried out, however, the specific focus was on macroplastics rather than microplastics..

The lonely cutter bees, for example, which are similar in size to European bees, use their huge jaws to cut large pieces of plastic, as they do with leaves and petals.

Scientists ofChile, from Argentina, from Canada and from the United States observed cutter bees collecting pieces of bags, packaging and other plastic materials and lining their nests with them. A study carried out inU.S suggested that bees also cut plastic beacon material, used for demarcation of works, to build your nests.

In the study carried out in Denmark, scientists gathered thousands of worker bees, all females, from 19 apiaries — nine in central Copenhagen and 10 in suburban and rural areas. The researchers collected the bees from inside their hives in the spring, time when colonies are still in the formation phase. How bees interact with plants, water, soil and air — areas where microplastics accumulate — they have ideal conditions for finding plastics. The team that collected the insects wore clothes made from natural fibers, in addition to having taken other measures of care, not to contaminate the bees.

Bees were frozen for euthanasia, then washed and scrubbed to remove particles stuck to their legs and bodies.. Using a microscope and infrared light, the particles were sorted by size, form and type of material.

of the particles found, 15% were microplastics. of these microplastics, 52% were fragments and 38% were fibers. Polyester was the fiber found in the greatest quantity, followed by polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride. Natural cotton fibers were also detected.

As expected, bees that live in an urban environment had a higher rate of microplastics in their bodies, as it is known that urban areas contain a high density of these fragments.. However, the amount of microplastics found in bees from rural areas was not considerably less than in bees that live in urban areas., and this was a surprise for the scientists.. According to them, this result suggests that wind dispersion levels the concentration of microplastics over large areas..

"I expected to find more 'clean' bees in the countryside than in central Copenhagen", said byemail Roberto Rosal, professor of chemical engineering at the University of Alcalá, in Madrid, and co-author of the research. "The intense mobility of small microplastics may explain this", adds the chemical engineer.

Polluted plastic harms bees?

The impact caused by the contact of bees with plastics is still a matter to be clarified. Scientists' opinions are divided: some believe that the construction of nests from plastic scraps by cutter bees is simply evidence that the bees are adapting to the presence of new material.; others believe it can be harmful..

In a study published earlier this year in the journal Journal of Hazardous Materials, Chinese scientists sought to assess the risks that microplastics could pose to bees. They fed the bees polystyrene microplastics for two weeks and found that this did not change their mortality rate.. However, the experience with microplastics changed the microbiome of bees, disrupting the array of intestinal bacteria essential for basic biological functions. With that, the Chinese team concluded that contact of cutter bees with plastics could pose "substantial health risks for these insects".

The team also found that the bee mortality rate soared from less than 20% for about 55% when bees consumed a combination of polystyrene and tetracycline, a common antibiotic used in beekeeping to prevent larval disease.. “Powder is salty, microplastics may not be the most toxic contaminant, but the presence of other chemical substances can increase its toxicity", concluded the Chinese researchers.

Illaria Negri, pesquisadora from Catholic University of the Sacuro Cuore, in Italy, who did not participate in the studies carried out in Denmark and China, also cares about the issue. Byemail, Negri said the toxic effects of microplastics "may intensify when combined with other pollutants such as pesticides, veterinary drugs or plastic additives".

The researcher concludes that certain pesticides can be absorbed by plastic debris and can have "devastating effects" on the health of bees and other wildlife and insects if ingested..

POR MATT KELLY (NatGeo)

Matter extracted from: https://www.nationalgeographicbrasil.com/animais/2021/06/abelhas-estao-acumulando-microplasticos-em-seus-corpos